Monday, November 18, 2013

BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY

Say "Cheese!"

The outside was - as I am sure you have been made aware from the countless obligatory and entirely superfluous posts and pictures - wet. What the population of the interwebnetsland failed to inform you, dear reader, was that is was wet inside too! Just the way we like it! Steaming, heaving, sweaty and damp. I am of course, referring to the dark confines of ROAR and the assembled masses packed in tightly to bid a sad farewell to one of our most beloved group of bad boy retro-rockers, the inimitable SABRETOOTH. Sporting the traditional bandanas and backwards caps, they flew out of the blocks and soon had the frenzied crowd going, in the words of one Nick Holmes (and a surprising reference at that) "fucking nuts!"

Fucking nuts it was! Swirling mass of bodies, swept up in the momentous moment, the crowd lost their shit altogether in an evening of surprisingly poignant and raw emotion. Soaring melodies, mercurial solos, a battering-ram rhythm section, riffing that defied both the laws of physics and belief, and awesome vocals have typified SABRETOOTH'S live gigs (and recordings, come to think of it...) but this shit was on another level! I have had the privilege of witnessing these lads play many times, but on Saturday night they were simply out there. Known in equal portions for wearing their hearts on their sleeves and being stunning virtuoso musicians, they played their collective hearts and souls OUT! And STILL the crowd bayed for more! In a super-extended set, we were treated to what seemed like their entire impressive repertoire from over the years and some classic cover versions. An unforgettable, exhilarating, tearful, joyful send off!

To Charles, Damian, Nikolai, Mauri, Ryan and Dean: thank you for the mad memories, the good times, the outrageously rocking tunes, and the flamboyant follicular fare! You have etched a deep and lasting legacy and will be remembered with abiding affection by all rock and metal fans of South Africa.

NGDG: There's an old dude at the Wimpy wearing a tshirt that says "I'm retired. This is as dressed up as I get." I think he may be me from the future.